Kashmir: Two civilians killed in heavy firing along LoC in Poonch district

Jammu: An army jawan and his wife were killed and their three daughters suffered injuries on Saturday when the Pakistani army violated the ceasefire and resorted to mortar shelling and firing at forward posts and villages along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district

Sepoy Mohmmad Shaukat of the Territorial Army, who was on leave, and his wife Safia Bi were killed when a mortar shell fired by the Pakistan Army exploded near their home in Karmara, a police officer said.

The couple's three daughters, Zaida Kouser (6), Robina Kouser (12) and Nazia Bi, and another person were injured.

"Pakistan Army began indiscriminate firing and shelling on our positions on the LoC in Gulpur area," a source reportedly told IANS. "The firing is ongoing and our forces are effectively retaliating," the source added.

The Pakistani troops rained mortar bomb shells and resorted to heavy firing targeting civilian villages as well, a police officer said. "Very heavy shelling is going on. So far two civilians have died in Pakistani shelling in Khadi Karmara village along the LoC," he said, adding that some other people suffered injuries.

There have been 23 incidents of ceasefire violation, an attack by Pakistan special forces team and two infiltration bids in June, in which four people including three jawans were killed and 12 were injured.

On 29 June, two Indian Army jawans were injured when the Pakistani troops fired from small arms and shelled mortars on forward posts and civilian areas along the LoC in Poonch district.

Even on Eid-ul Fitr on 26 June, the Pakistani army fired small arms and automatic weapons and shelled mortars along the LoC in the Bhimbher Gali sector of Rajouri.

Earlier on 22 June, a Pakistani special forces team sneaked across the LoC into Poonch under cover of heavy fire and killed two jawans — 34-year-old Naik Jadhav Sandip of Aurangabad and 24-year-old Sepoy Mane Savan Balku of Kolhapur.

One Pakistani soldier was also killed. Pakistan's Border Action Team comprises its army's special forces personnel and terrorists.